U.S. History 1865-Present

History H106/Spring 2004

1:00-2:15 T/R

 

Instructor: Jason S. Lantzer

Email: jlantzer@indiana.edu

 

Course Description and Goals:

H106 is a survey course in American History.  It aims to look at the major themes, events, and personalities important in the development of the United States from the end of Reconstruction to the Present.  In this class we will look at how people and ideas shaped the course of American history.  The emphasis will be on these larger theoretical constructs, as opposed to memorizing dates and other “facts.”  My hope is that you will come away from the class with a deeper understanding of not only American history but also of History in general, and how the past continues to shape the world we live in today.

 

To that end, one of the questions we will look at throughout this course is what is America?  How did different people see America?  What did America mean to the people who lived during the events of the past?  How did their interpretations of America shape the country, and as a result, our view of America today?

 

Required Books:

Out of Many: A History of the American People Vol. II

James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers

 

Reading assignments from the textbook are designed to provide useful context for the lectures.  The Bradley book will be the basis for a paper, explained below.

 

Attendance:

It is expected that you will attend class.  Punctual and consistent attendance is a key component to success in college, as it is in one’s career, and it will be valued highly in this course.  Should you ever need to miss a class for religious or health reasons, try and let me know ahead of time.

 

Grades:

There will be three exams in the class, each of which is worth one hundred (100) points and will be based on the assigned readings and lectures.  The exams, which are non-cumulative, will be made up of essay and short answer questions. 

 

Students will also need to write a paper (5-8 pages), which is worth one hundred points.  The paper is to be based on the Bradley book. Students will be asked to reflect on how the book informs them about topics relating to H106.  This is not a book report, but rather an opportunity for the student to relate what they have learned in H106 to the wider literature.

 

Cheating of any kind will not be tolerated

 

Your final grade is simply the average of your three exams and your paper.  Grading is according to the standard A-F scale: 100-90=A, 89-80=B, 79-70=C, 69-60=D, 59-0=F.

 

Class Schedule:

1/13:                Introduction (No Reading)

1/15:                Reconstruction (Ch. 17)

1/20:                Westward Expansion I (Ch. 18)

1/22:                Westward Expansion II (Ch. 18)

1/27:                Big Business I (Ch. 19)

1/29:                Big Business II (Ch. 19)

2/3:                  Big Labor (Ch. 19, 20)

2/5:                  Immigration (Ch. 19, 21)

2/10:                Urbanization (Ch. 19, 21)

2/12:                African Americans (Ch. 21)     

2/17:                Third Parties (Ch. 21)

2/19:                Progressives (Ch. 21)

2/24:                Test

2/26:                American Empire (Ch. 20)

3/2:                  Teddy, Taft, and Woodrow (Ch. 20, 21)

3/4:                  First World War I (Ch. 22)

3/9:                  First World War II (Ch. 22)

3/11:                The 1920s (Ch. 23)

3/16 and 3/18               SPRING BREAK

3/23:                Great Depression (Ch. 24)

3/25:                New Deal (Ch. 24)

3/30:                World War II (Ch. 25)

4/1:                  World War II (Ch. 25)

4/6:                  Test

4/8:                  Cold War (Ch. 26)

4/13:                1950s (Ch. 27)

4/15:                Civil Rights (Ch. 28)

4/20:                Vietnam (Ch. 29)

4/22:                1960s? (Ch. 29)

4/27:                From Nixon to Reagan (Ch. 30)

4/29:                From Reagan to W (Ch. 31)     Bradley paper due

5/3:                  Finals Week